State wants to compete for Federal dollars, so they require epinephrine injectors. Don’t believe me?

Once again, the California Legislature is using their wordsmith skills to craft bills without addressing the real issue. SB 1266 focuses its laser beam attention on the term “authorizes” and changes it to
“requires” in the name of the almighty dollar. Don’t believe me, just read the comments from the Assembly. I underlined them for you. Not to mention this bill does away with the requirement to have a plan – a major miss step.

The One Major Miss Step

Over the years, I have tackled this issue numerous times. Schools typically want to save lives and do the right thing, unfortunately, they are relying on staff and others to volunteer for this responsibility. In many cases no one steps forward to volunteer. The reasons for that may be many, but one has been the liability associated with sticking someone with a needle. The author does address this issue by requiring schools to provide a defense to the volunteer, but it still does not exonerate them from the liability. If the author really wanted to do some good, they would have given the volunteer immunity. At the end of the day, this bill and regulation relies on getting volunteers whether a school is authorized to get them or requires them to get them, someone still has to volunteer.

Major Requirements of the Bill and New Regulation

The bill imposes several new requirements, here they are in short form:

Distribute a notice annually to staff to request volunteers (again, what if no one volunteers)

Requires epinephrine injectors to be stocked and restocked

Delete the requirement to have a plan (stupid)

Provide annual training to volunteers

Comments from the Assembly’s Analysis of the bill.

This bill requires school districts, COEs, and charter schools to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses and trained personnel who have volunteered, who may use the epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction. This bill requires a qualified supervisor of health at a school district, COE or charter operator to obtain an epinephrine auto-injector. If a school district, COE or charter operator does not have a qualified supervisor of health, this bill requires an administrator to obtain an epinephrine auto-injector, only if there is a volunteer willing to be responsible for injecting the epinephrine in an emergency. This bill requires all schools with a school nurse or trained volunteer to stock epinephrine auto-injectors.

According to the author, the stocking of extra epinephrine injectors will allow for the administration of the medication if necessary to someone who is not aware of their life threatening condition. By requiring stock epinephrine, as described in this bill, we are enabling our State to possibly compete for federal dollars and provide our school health professionals the necessary tools and peace of mind to keep children safe. Ultimately, we know with certainty this bill WILL be saving lives as there is ample evidence from schools that have stocked it, have had occasion to use it and in turn has resulted in saving the lives of children.

SB 1266, Huff. Pupil health: epinephrine auto-injectors.

This bill would instead require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses and trained personnel who have volunteered, as specified, and would authorize school nurses and trained personnel to use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction. The bill would require school districts, county offices of education, and charter schools to distribute a notice requesting volunteers at least once a year. The bill would require a qualified supervisor of health or administrator at a school district, county office of education, or charter school to obtain the prescription for epinephrine auto-injectors from an authorizing physician and surgeon, as defined, and would authorize the prescription to be filled by local or mail order pharmacies or epinephrine auto-injector manufacturers. The bill would require epinephrine auto-injectors to be stocked and restocked by the qualified supervisor of health or administrator in accordance with specified provisions. By imposing additional duties on local educational agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

This bill would delete the requirement for creating a plan, would revise the training requirements, and would require the Superintendent to review the minimum standards of training at least every 5 years. The bill would require a school district, county office of education, or charter school to ensure that each employee who volunteers is provided defense and indemnification by the school district, county office of education, or charter school for any and all civil liability, as specified. The bill would authorize a state agency, the State Department of Education, or a public school to accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source for the support of the public school carrying out these provisions. By requiring local educational agencies to perform additional duties related to epinephrine auto-injectors, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program.

Digest Key

Bill Text

The people of the State of California do enact as follows:

SECTION 1.

Section 4119.2 of the Business and Professions Code is amended to read:

4119.2.

(a) Notwithstanding any other law, a pharmacy may furnish epinephrine auto-injectors to a school district, county office of education, or charter school pursuant to Section 49414 of the Education Code if all of the following are met:

(1) The epinephrine auto-injectors are furnished exclusively for use at a school district site, county office of education, or charter school.

(2) A physician and surgeon provides a written order that specifies the quantity of epinephrine auto-injectors to be furnished.

(b) Records regarding the acquisition and disposition of epinephrine auto-injectors furnished pursuant to subdivision (a) shall be maintained by the school district, county office of education, or charter school for a period of three years from the date the records were created. The school district, county office of education, or charter school shall be responsible for monitoring the supply of epinephrine auto-injectors and ensuring the destruction of expired epinephrine auto-injectors.

SEC. 2.

Section 49414 of the Education Code is amended to read:

49414.

(a) School districts, county offices of education, and charter schools shall provide emergency epinephrine auto-injectors to school nurses or trained personnel who have volunteered pursuant to subdivision (d), and school nurses or trained personnel may use epinephrine auto-injectors to provide emergency medical aid to persons suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from an anaphylactic reaction.

(b) For purposes of this section, the following terms have the following meanings:

(1) “Anaphylaxis” means a potentially life-threatening hypersensitivity to a substance.

(B) Causes of anaphylaxis may include, but are not limited to, an insect sting, food allergy, drug reaction, and exercise.

(2) “Authorizing physician and surgeon” may include, but is not limited to, a physician and surgeon employed by, or contracting with, a local educational agency, a medical director of the local health department, or a local emergency medical services director.

(3) “Epinephrine auto-injector” means a disposable drug delivery system with a spring-activated needle that is designed for emergency administration of epinephrine to provide rapid, convenient first aid for persons suffering a potentially fatal reaction to anaphylaxis.

(4) “Qualified supervisor of health” may include, but is not limited to, a school nurse.

(5) “Volunteer” or “trained personnel” means an employee who has volunteered to administer epinephrine auto-injectors to a person if the person is suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from anaphylaxis, has been designated by a school, and has received training pursuant to subdivision (d).

(c) Each private elementary and secondary school in the state may voluntarily determine whether or not to make emergency epinephrine auto-injectors and trained personnel available at its school. In making this determination, a school shall evaluate the emergency medical response time to the school and determine whether initiating emergency medical services is an acceptable alternative to epinephrine auto-injectors and trained personnel. A private elementary or secondary school choosing to exercise the authority provided under this subdivision shall not receive state funds specifically for purposes of this subdivision.

(d) Each public and private elementary and secondary school in the state may designate one or more volunteers to receive initial and annual refresher training, based on the standards developed pursuant to subdivision (e), regarding the storage and emergency use of an epinephrine auto-injector from the school nurse or other qualified person designated by an authorizing physician and surgeon.

(e) (1) Every five years, or sooner as deemed necessary by the Superintendent, the Superintendent shall review minimum standards of training for the administration of epinephrine auto-injectors that satisfy the requirements of paragraph (2). For purposes of this subdivision, the Superintendent shall consult with organizations and providers with expertise in administering epinephrine auto-injectors and administering medication in a school environment, including, but not limited to, the State Department of Public Health, the Emergency Medical Services Authority, the American Academy of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the California School Nurses Organization, the California Medical Association, the American Academy of Pediatrics, Food Allergy Research and Education, the California Society of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the American College of Allergy, Asthma and Immunology, the Stanford Allergy Center, and others.

(2) Training established pursuant to this subdivision shall include all of the following:

(A) Techniques for recognizing symptoms of anaphylaxis.

(B) Standards and procedures for the storage, restocking, and emergency use of epinephrine auto-injectors.

(C) Emergency followup procedures, including calling the emergency 911 telephone number and contacting, if possible, the pupil’s parent and physician.

(D) Recommendations on the necessity of instruction and certification in cardiopulmonary resuscitation.

(E) Instruction on how to determine whether to use an adult epinephrine auto-injector or a junior epinephrine auto-injector, which shall include consideration of a pupil’s grade level or age as a guideline of equivalency for the appropriate pupil weight determination.

(F) Written materials covering the information required under this subdivision.

(3) Training established pursuant to this subdivision shall be consistent with the most recent Voluntary Guidelines for Managing Food Allergies In Schools and Early Care and Education Programs published by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the most recent guidelines for medication administration issued by the department.

(4) A school shall retain for reference the written materials prepared under subparagraph (F) of paragraph (2).

(f) A school district, county office of education, or charter school shall distribute a notice at least once per school year to all staff that contains the following information:

(1) A description of the volunteer request stating that the request is for volunteers to be trained to administer an epinephrine auto-injector to a person if the person is suffering, or reasonably believed to be suffering, from anaphylaxis, as specified in subdivision (b).

(2) A description of the training that the volunteer will receive pursuant to subdivision (d).

(g) (1) A qualified supervisor of health at a school district, county office of education, or charter school shall obtain from an authorizing physician and surgeon a prescription for each school for epinephrine auto-injectors that, at a minimum, includes, for elementary schools, one regular epinephrine auto-injector and one junior epinephrine auto-injector, and for junior high schools, middle schools, and high schools, if there are no pupils who require a junior epinephrine auto-injector, one regular epinephrine auto-injector. A qualified supervisor of health at a school district, county office of education, or charter school shall be responsible for stocking the epinephrine auto-injector and restocking it if it is used.

(2) If a school district, county office of education, or charter school does not have a qualified supervisor of health, an administrator at the school district, county office of education, or charter school shall carry out the duties specified in paragraph (1).

(3) A prescription pursuant to this subdivision may be filled by local or mail order pharmacies or epinephrine auto-injector manufacturers.

(h) A school nurse or, if the school does not have a school nurse or the school nurse is not onsite or available, a volunteer may administer an epinephrine auto-injector to a person exhibiting potentially life-threatening symptoms of anaphylaxis at school or a school activity when a physician is not immediately available. If the epinephrine auto-injector is used it shall be restocked as soon as reasonably possible, but no later than two weeks after it is used. Epinephrine auto-injectors shall be restocked before their expiration date.

(j) A school district, county office of education, or charter school shall ensure that each employee who volunteers under this section will be provided defense and indemnification by the school district, county office of education, or charter school for any and all civil liability, in accordance with, but not limited to, that provided in Division 3.6 (commencing with Section 810) of Title 1 of the Government Code. This information shall be reduced to writing, provided to the volunteer, and retained in the volunteer’s personnel file.

(k) A state agency, the department, or a public school may accept gifts, grants, and donations from any source for the support of the public school carrying out the provisions of this section, including, but not limited to, the acceptance of epinephrine auto-injectors from a manufacturer or wholesaler.

SEC. 3.

If the Commission on State Mandates determines that this act contains costs mandated by the state, reimbursement to local agencies and school districts for those costs shall be made pursuant to Part 7 (commencing with Section 17500) of Division 4 of Title 2 of the Government Code.